René Wagner will block out the noise around 1. FC Köln before Sunday’s home derby against Borussia Mönchengladbach. The first-time head coach has taken four points from the opening four Bundesliga matches, but his side have already been whistled by their own supporters in three of them.
Köln’s fan base remains unconvinced despite a reasonable start on the table. Wagner, 38, has won only two of his 11 league games since replacing Lukas Kwasniok at the end of March, and the scrutiny has followed him into derby week.
“At the beginning of a coaching career, it is naturally important to collect wins,” Wagner said. He admitted that the criticism is difficult to ignore, even if he is trying to keep it out of his thinking.
“I notice what happens around the club. At the moment, it is relatively hard not to notice it,” Wagner said. “If I allowed it to affect me, it would not make my job easier. It would make it more difficult. Thoughts might enter my head that do not belong there. I have to free myself from that.”
Derby squad almost complete
Köln host Gladbach on Sunday at 15:30. Wagner has all senior players available apart from right-back Alessio Castro-Montes.
The coach is aware of the external debate but says there is no equivalent pressure inside the club.
“I know those voices exist, and I think that is okay,” he said. “In the end, what matters is the communication I have internally with the people responsible here. Those voices are not there.”
No immediate coaching change planned
Wagner’s position is not under short-term review. Köln are not planning to replace him after the Gladbach match, regardless of the result.
That could change if poor results continue, but the immediate aim is clear. Wagner wants the derby to reset the mood around the club.
“We want the city to leave the stadium on Sunday celebrating a derby victory,” he said.
